New Wimbledon Studio has more 'FRESH IDEAS' for Spring 2010

Housed in the former ballroom of New Wimbledon Theatre, the alternative theatre space the New Wimbledon Studio continues its work to feature fantastic new work in addition to the various plays, musicals and comedies that play in the main house.

Last spring saw a new initiative launched by the theatre, a season called FRESH IDEAS, with its key aim to act as an opportunity for first-time writers, directors, designers and performers to stage their work with appreciative and receptive audiences, each only paying £10 for the privilege of seeing brand new work.

The more intimate ‘black box’ performance space lends itself perfectly to smaller, more alternative theatregoing experiences, and as a result is a fantastic and dramatic setting in which to see different styles of work. It also has its own dedicated box office and bar for pre-show and interval refreshments. The Studio will also undergo a series of renovations across the season when not in use and have a brand new look for the theatre’s centenary year – more news to be announced!

Due to the success of Fresh Ideas last year, it now returns in 2010, with no less than fourteen fantastic shows, ten of which are either UK or World premieres. Written, directed and performed by various companies, both amateur and professional, the full and varied season runs from February until May.

CRAZY GARY’S MOBILE DISCO
3-6 February

Ever bumped into an old friend and wished you hadn’t? Three men’s quests for redemption collide when reunited one shocking night in a small Welsh town. Gary Owen’s brutal modern classic, in a vibrant production by debut company Sheer Drop Theatre.

DEATH OF THE UNICORN
World Premiere 10-13 February

‘Our souls are the biscuits and we are merely the tins’. Come and explore the cavern of the unicorn, where your imagination is untameable, your identity unique and your path unpainted. A play inviting you to discover your true self.

THE SUGAR BABES
17-20 February

A comedy extravaganza of two girls’ desperate quest to find their daddy, who they believe is Alan Sugar. How far will they go to be united with their Sugar Daddy? This tale contains sumptuous singing, Fosse style dancing and preposterous story telling.

BEASTLY NATURE
World Premiere 3-6 March

Aeron is a man of innocent magic, but is he really so innocent? A neighbours’ child is missing, and an unexpected visitor makes Aeron’s brothers fear a secret from the past will return to haunt them.

SQUARE(D)
World Premiere 10-13 March

Square(d) is a comedy about four thirty-something’s who realise one night that they have the same consumerist comfort, same meaningless purpose, and even the same mistress! Square(d) takes us deep into madness as farces really are the most chaotic form of theatre.

MY FIFTEEN MINUTES
World Premiere 17-20 March

This is it! An instant superstar and all your troubles are behind you. Everyone loves you; everyone wants to be you. With original music, My Fifteen Minutes is a fun-filled musical journey for anyone who's ever dreamed of fame.

SOMETHING ABOUT FREDDIE
23-25 March
Part of the Baked Bean Theatre Company – a theatre company for adults with learning disabilities.

An anti drugs contemporary piece about life on the streets, love, family and tragedy. Set in the suburbs of London, this is the story of Freddie, a homeless man who dreams of making it big as a rapper. Freddie battles against the temptations and risks of drug taking whilst trying to hold his relationship, career and future together.

GREED
World Premiere 31 March - 3 April

Dan and Emma: young, rich and successful. Then they lose it all. A biting, darkly comic new play on the power of money, lust and the deadliest sin: Greed. Ben Clare is a member of the Royal Court writers group.

AMERICAN BYTES
UK Premiere 7-10 April

Liminal Space Productions presents American Bytes, directed & designed by Prav Menon- Johansson. The UK premier of five, short contemporary plays by emergent US playwrights, Steven Bergman, Mark Harvey Levine and Peter Snoad reflecting the diversity of American life.

AFTER THE DANCE
13-17 April

Meet the young, not-so-bright things of the roaring 1920’s, whose drunken escapades were chronicled by Evelyn Waugh, in his outrageously funny novels. Joan and David Scott- Fowler’s Mayfair flat is the main social hotspot for their eccentric and carefree friends. Twelve years on and as the unstoppable socialites continue to age disgracefully, David’s life is saved by his cousins young fiancé and when she offers him a chance to start his life again, he ends up losing much more than he bargained for.

TIPPING POINT
World Premiere 28 April - 1 May

'If, by some chance, we survive, where will we play? What stories will we have left to tell?' An urban couple on the verge of separation, a world on the brink of disaster, a baby about to be born…A surreal, comic and deeply moving evening about everything we can do to save the planet.

OVER THE MOON
World Premiere 5-8 May

Michael is on the ultimate comedown. James hasn't stepped outside in 7 years. Sarah is just a girl whose name is written in the stars. A comedy about life, the universe, and getting stuck in a lift with an astronaut.

MARIANNE
World Premiere 12-15 May

Cath and David have lost a child. Allie has lost a best friend. Ash has gained a heart. Marianne is a play about grief and love, about youth and age, about life standing still and life moving on, about being alive and being dead.

HANSEL & GRETTEL - a musical
UK Premiere 12-15 May

Paul Boyd’s acclaimed musical has been successfully produced across Ireland since 1997, with recent hit productions in the USA. A dark and atmospheric tale featuring “a witty script and an exciting original score … not to be missed” (The Stage).

ENDS

For further information please contact Mark Jones, New Wimbledon Theatre Press Officer on 0208 545 7919 or markjones@theambassadors.com

For further details of each show, log on to www.AmbassadorTickets.com/Wimbledon or call 0844 8717 646